The Music Business Buddy

This solo episode from Jonny Amos focuses on the tension between AI and Gen Z, especially in music and creative tech. Jonny explores why so many young creators feel discomfort, distrust, or outright disgust toward AI, and why understanding those fears matters more than forcing adoption. He pulls together observations from artists, builders, investors, conferences, and workshops to unpack the real...

In this episode, UK based music executive Jake Williams shares insights into modern music release strategies, metadata management, and the role of AI in music distribution. Discover how data-driven decisions and innovative approaches are shaping the future of the music industry. Jake Williams is Founder of Penance Music Group and also works in digital operations at Republic of Music.  keywords mus...

Spotlight Advisory Group CEO and Co-Founder Dan Scott shares his unique perspective on the value of creativity, ownership, and legacy in the music industry, emphasising purpose over profit and exploring how AI might shape the future of human creativity. keywords music industry, ownership, legacy, purpose, AI, creativity, wealth, success, purpose-driven life, artistic freedom key topics The philoso...

Music Industry Executive Andre Mullen shares his insights on transforming the music industry through faith-based, integrated IP models, long-term artist development, and the role of technology in building authentic artist-fan relationships. keywords music industry, artist development, integrated IP, faith-based, music technology, independent labels, long-term success, fan engagement, rights manage...

How OpenStage Is Changing the Artist–Fan Relationship What if artists could build a direct relationship with their fans — rather than relying on social platforms, streaming services and other third parties? In this episode of The Music Business Buddy, Jonny Amos speaks with Rob Sealy from OpenStage about the gap between having an audience and actually knowing who your fans are. The conversation ex...

Phil Simpson on Independent Music Publishing, Sync and the Power of Human Taste Jonny Amos speaks with Phil Simpson, founder of First Original Music, about independent music publishing, sync, and why human relationships and taste remain at the heart of the business. Phil explains how First Original Music works with songwriters across publishing, administration and sync, what he looks for in a writ...

This episode delves deeply into the evolving role of music supervision, exploring its historical context, current challenges, and future trends. Jonny Amos discusses the dual nature of music supervisors as both creative and business-oriented professionals, the impact of social media and AI on music discovery, and the increasing importance of independent artists in the sync landscape. The discussio...

I speak with hit producer Jamie Sellers about how music creation has changed now that artists can get a demo most of the way there on their own, but still need experienced ears to finish a record. Jamie explains why his role has shifted from building songs from scratch to acting more like a finisher and exec producer, and why that experience gap is still the difference between a good demo and a re...

In this episode, Jonny Amos explores the ins and outs of music publishing, focusing on what songwriters should know about choosing the right publisher, deal structures, and long-term relationships. Perfect for songwriters looking to understand how to navigate the complex world of music publishing. Keywords music publishing, songwriters, publishing deals, royalties, sub-publishing, music rights, mu...

In this episode, Chordal CEO Grayson Sanders joins me, Jonny Amos, for a discussion on the complexities of music licensing in the digital age, the potential of AI in rights management, and the future of micro-licensing for the creator economy. We explore how technology is transforming the industry and what it means for artists, rights holders, and content creators. Keywords music licensing, AI rig...

In this episode, I am joined by Hekta Music Group CEO Lucas Rizzo who also operates as a Fractional Partner Across Brands, Tech and Capital. Lucas shares insights from his unique journey through music, tech, and startups, highlighting the interconnectedness of these worlds and how they shape his approach to artist development and catalog management. Keywords music industry, startups, artist develo...

Your music can be playing in thousands of real-world places right now: cafés, shops, gyms, pubs, restaurants, clubs and grassroots venues. The uncomfortable truth is that public performance royalties are still often calculated from surveys, proxies and best guesses, not from actual usage. That means creators can be underpaid or overpaid, and a lot of value ends up drifting into the black box inste...

Sync is meant to be simple: a great track, a clear brief, a fair fee, everyone gets paid. In reality, it can be weeks of chasing split sheets, conflicting PRO records, missing contacts and approvals that arrive too late to matter. I’m joined by hitmaker and builder Nathan Duvall to talk about what happens when the modern pace of content collides with a licensing system that still struggles to answ...

You can feel it happening: a quiet revolt against the feed. When music becomes something we scroll past, count, and optimise, we lose the part that actually nourishes us. So I sit down with Keith Jopling, former Spotify global head of strategy and one of the UK’s sharpest music industry thinkers, to talk about the surprisingly radical idea at the heart of his book Body Of Work.   We start with the...

A song can be great and still miss its audience, simply because nobody knows where to place it. That problem sits at the heart of my conversation with Zotz - the strategist, music executive, and CEO of Rocketship Music, a new platform built to help artists understand exactly where their track fits before they spend money promoting it.  We talk about the practical reality of modern music marketing...

AI music tools are moving fast, but one issue keeps poisoning the well: models trained on copyrighted songs with little or no visibility into what went in. When creators cannot see the training data, they cannot consent, negotiate, or get paid, and we end up stuck in a bleak loop of scrape first and litigate later. I want a better outcome, and I think we already have a blueprint hiding in plain si...

You can feel it happening: people are watching less legacy television, and the internet is filling the gap with an endless stream of short-form video, livestreams, indie games, podcasts, and creator-led brands. That shift doesn’t just change how audiences consume media, it changes how music needs to be licensed. I’m looking at micro licensing, a model that could become a major force over the next...

Most artists don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they rush, chase the wrong signals, or hand over control before they understand what they own. I’m joined by John Hart, A&R consultant and artist management specialist, for a straight-talking look at what sustainable artist development really means in today’s music industry. We get specific about what a good manager looks for...

Most music producers spend years trying to be louder, faster, and more impressive in the room. Tenroc argues the opposite;l the real edge is knowing what the song needs, then doing only that. Jonny Amos sits down with the New York songwriter-producer behind work connected to artists like Jon Bellion, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Julia Michaels, and pulls back the curtain on how modern sessions...

The music industry does not just need more songs and artists. It needs more people who understand how the whole machine fits together and who can help artists build sustainable careers. That is why I brought three of my former students onto the podcast: Natalie Brown, Lotty Evans and Chris Beswick. They have just finished their degrees at BIMM University in Birmingham (UK) and they already sound l...

When you approach crowdfunding with a plan, it becomes one of the most powerful tools an independent artist can use to fund an album, a tour, a music video, or the next career step without handing over control. I am joined by Ella Kuijpers and Remy Van Leeuwen, the founders of Crowdable; a crowdfunding platform built specifically for music. Remy and Ella kindly explain why their work is as much ab...

Episode 100 is a landmark for me, so I went back through the first 99 conversations and pulled out the 10 biggest lessons I want every music creator to use into 2026. If you make songs, release recordings, or collaborate with anyone at all, this is the practical checklist that helps you protect your work, get your royalties paid, and avoid the silent mistakes that cost artists money for years.  We...

Royalties don’t disappear, they get stuck. When the data can’t identify you, the system can’t pay you, even if the money has been collected. That’s why I wanted to bring on Amit Dubey from Beat Street Music and Publishing in Mumbai, India; a specialist in the unglamorous back end of the music business - rights documentation, metadata accuracy, publishing administration, royalty tracking, and recov...

Confusing distribution with publishing is one of the fastest ways to lose time, miss money, and second guess every release decision you make. I’m Jonny Amos - host of The Music Business Buddy and I’m stripping it back to basics so you can clearly separate what a music distributor does from what a music publisher does, without the jargon and without the myths. We start with the core distinction the...

China can look like the biggest opportunity in music and the easiest place to get lost. I sit down with Jonathan Heeter, who runs Middle8, an outsourced China division for Western labels and artists, to translate what actually works on the ground and what Western playbooks get wrong. We map the Chinese music streaming landscape through Tencent’s QQ Music ecosystem and NetEase Cloud Music, then dig...